Cigar Review – Diesel Uncut

Since I prefer full-bodied cigars, it was a no-brainer for me to grab some of the new Diesel Uncut Toros when they hit our shelves. Pretty much anything that comes out of A.J. Fernandez’ factory in Esteli, Nicaragua trips my trigger, so I looked forward to opening the paper-wrapped mazo of ten 6.5 x52 cigars.

The first thing you notice is the milk chocolate-colored Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. It’s a little lighter in shade than most of the PA capas I’ve seen, and definitely lighter than the original Diesel Unholy Cocktail. I cut the cap and gave it a pre-light draw, but…I couldn’t get a draw at all. Then I looked at the foot of the stick and realized why. Uncut incorporates a growing trend – the foot is covered by wrapper that’s been folded over it. Now I understood the name a little better. There are two things I like with this approach. First off, you get a burst of wrapper flavor upon lighting, and the cigars made this way tend to burn evenly, even though you don’t toast the foot, first.

On the initial puff, I get a nice mixture of sweetness and earthiness. There’s spice here, but it’s not a commanding presence, and works nicely with the other flavors. I get some dark chocolate along with roasted nuts and oak. The spice at the beginning is a softer kind, like nutmeg. The burn is nice and even, and this toro grande feels very solid in the hand.

Approaching the halfway point, the spice is becoming more prominent, more like allspice and cinnamon. The overall character is getting a bit deeper with some espresso and a little more earthiness. This isn’t a wimpy cigar, by any means, but it doesn’t put me on the edge of the sweats, either. The balance is really solid, so it’s an enjoyable experience. I’d put Uncut slightly on the medium side of full, which would make it better, for me, any time. I tend to save the late evening hours for the really powerful sticks.

In the last third, the flavor continues to deepen, and the spice is turning to pepper. At this point, I’ve got about an hour and twenty minutes invested in the cigar, and it’s still surprisingly smooth. A.J. has another winner here, and this one will find a home in my humidor, especially considering that 10 of these sell for less than $40, and the robustos are less than $30. Tons of flavor and a fair price is what I’ve come to expect from the Diesel family, and Uncut is no exception.

Russ Ouellette is the blender/creator of the Hearth & Home series of tobaccos for www.pipesandcigars.com in Bethlehem, PA. He has been a pipe smoker and blender for over 30 years, and enjoys feedback from the pipe smoking public. You can reach Russ at russo@pipesandcigars.com or by calling 1-800-494-9144.